City of Benicia This Week
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In this edition: Message from the City Manager, Cardiac Arrest Survivor, Shakespeare in the Park, Citizen's Police Academy, Cemetery Cleanup Day, My Garden of a Thousand Bees, Virtual Regional Wildfire Safety Webinar, Get Alerts on Leaks with WaterSmart and much more!
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Message from the City Manager |
August 1, 2022
Dear Community Members,
This Tuesday night we celebrate National Night Out! We are so excited for this event. If there ever was an event we love to get behind as a City it is National Night Out. It is a reminder of the importance of community and forging relationships in our neighborhoods, with all of our neighbors. The Neighborhood Watch groups (12 groups this year!) are such a valuable community building resource. The work they put in to connect their neighborhoods create strength and resiliency for those tough times that seem to be coming more frequently these days. First and foremost, they create networks that can be brought into action in the event of a disaster or critical incident. Those networks actually often blossom into support networks for more of the day-to-day assistance that is so important for creating true community in our neighborhoods. Truly it is about neighbors looking out for neighbors.
These Neighborhood Watch groups also provide training for disaster preparedness, crime prevention, and disaster response. They work closely with both the Fire Department and the Police Department in their efforts. If you are interested in joining an existing Neighborhood Watch group or creating your own new group, please contact Lieutenant Kenny Hart at 707-746-4244.
There will be no Council Meeting this week, as all of the Council and the Mayor will be participating in National Night Out. The next Council Meeting is scheduled for August 16th.
Finally, in the spirit of community and the idea that we are stronger, together, I would like to just remind everyone of the importance of civility and empathy as we move towards the November elections. We all have differences and different ideas about how to approach the challenges we face. However, we all have so much more that can unite us and bring us together as a community. Disagree. Have difficult conversations. But remember that we are one community in the end, and through that we will find the strength we need to create the sort of sense of place we all want…that very special place that is Benicia.
Thank you for your interest in the City of Benicia This Week! If you enjoy reading this weekly message, please share and encourage your friends, family, and coworkers to subscribe or text jointhisweek to 22828 (messaging and data rates may apply).
Erik Upson
City Manager
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Since 2019, the Benicia Fire Department has been utilizing a new model of Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), called High Performance CPR. High Performance CPR reduces pauses (hands off chest time), records data, and shows crews how well CPR was performed. After each case, crews do an incident review to evaluate how well CPR was performed and to discuss how they could improve in the future. Benicia has the highest cardiac arrest survival rate in Solano County, in large part due to the High Performance CPR method.
On June 21, 2022, Mr. Goss was in Benicia when he experienced a cardiac arrest during a quick trip into the local Safeway. A bystander checked his pulse and immediately started administering CPR. As luck would have it, the bystander was a lifeguard visiting from out of town and was trained in CPR. Benicia Firefighter Paramedic Sam Purdy, Engineer (Paramedic) Dustin Anderson, and Lieutenant (Paramedic) Gerardo Preciado were on scene in less than 2 minutes of the initial dispatch and took over CPR. These Benicia firefighters administered High Performance CPR in conjunction with life saving medications and a cardiac defibrillator to deliver an electrical shock to re-establish an effective heart rhythm. A pulse was recovered.
Medic Ambulance assisted with transport to a local hospital while firefighters Purdy and Anderson continued to provide patient care until safely arriving at the emergency department. Mr. Gross ended up having 5 separate cardiac arrests and required 5 defibrillations throughout the process of reviving him. He was immediately brought upstairs for emergency surgery. Mr. Goss was released from the hospital a week later with no lasting health effects. This excellent outcome is due to quick thinking and action by bystanders, emergency responders, and medical staff. On Tuesday, July 26th, Mr. Gross came by the fire station to visit with the crew that provided medical care to him last month (pictured).
Mr. Goss is a very lucky man. Last year in Solano County, bystanders initiated CPR in only 27% of cardiac arrests with bystanders present. Help save a life and learn hands-only CPR by contacting the Benicia Fire Department at 707-746-4275 or by visiting international.heart.org/en/hands-only-cpr.
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Grab your blanket or low lawn chair for an early evening (late afternoon) treat for the whole family! The Benicia Arts and Culture Commission, in partnership with Vallejo Shakespeare, presents William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing at the Benicia Marina Pavilion. The event will take place on Saturday, August 6th performance at 4:00 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
The light-hearted comedy, revolves around two romantic pairings: Claudio and Hero and Benedick and Beatrice. With characteristic wit and banter, the story of mistaken identities, crossed wires, deception, and honor, explores themes of love and friendship, and the power of rumor, ultimately serving as a cautionary tale. Learn more here.
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The Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy is returning this year! It will be hosted on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning September 19th thru October 17th from 6:30 pm until 9:30 pm. There are also two Saturday classes scheduled. The Citizen’s Police Academy is free to Benicia citizens who are 18 years or older. During this five-week academy, attendees will have the chance to interact with staff, learn about Crime Scene Investigation, take part in K9 Demonstrations, take a tour of Dispatch, and so much more. Applications are processed on a first come, first served basis. Please click here or stop by the Police Department lobby to get an application!
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On Saturday July 16, 2022, approximately 25-30 volunteers came together to do a general cleanup of the Benicia City Cemetery. The event was organized by the Benicia Community Foundation and the City of Benicia Parks and Community Services Department. Volunteers broke up into groups to remove weeds and unwanted vegetation, rake up debris, and help city staff with raising tree canopies, and cleaned off headstones and monuments. The City of Benicia greatly appreciates the help of the Benicia Community Foundation and the many volunteers who gave their time and effort to help make Benicia a great place to live. |
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Benicia Public Library is Generating Buzz about Bees |
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The Benicia Public Library will host a film screening of the PBS Nature documentary: My Garden of a Thousand Bees, an all-ages event on Wednesday, August 10th at 3pm in the Dona Benicia Room at the Library.
Acclaimed wildlife filmmaker Martin Dohrn set out to record all the bee species in his tiny urban garden in Bristol, England. He catalogues more than 60 different species, from Britain’s largest bumblebees to scissor bees the size of mosquitoes. Over long months, Dohrn observes how differences in behavior set different species apart. The event is part of the #PlantWildflowers campaign that highlights the critical role bees and other pollinators play in healthy ecosystems. Click here to learn more.
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Get free alerts about potential water leaks in your home from WaterSmart |
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Did you know that Water Smart/Water Insight can detect water leaks from your smart water meter? On average, 350 leak alert notices are sent to Benicia residents each month. Fixing leaks is an important part of water conservation. Sign up for a WaterInsight account at www.benicia.waterinsight.com or call 707-746-4792. It’s free!
Below are examples of the leak notices. WaterSmart software can estimate the gallons and duration irregular or continuous water use. Customers can click on the “investigate possible leak” button to help try to diagnose the leak.
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San Francisco Fire Department fire boat recognition |
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On the afternoon of April 9, 2022, a fire started at the 1000 block of Bayshore Drive adjacent to the Amports port terminal. A portion of the fire spread to the underside of the pier structure, which is constructed of large creosote coated timber covered by thick asphalt road surface. Ultimately, the fire progressed to a fourth alarm, the maximum in the Solano County alarm matrix. Fire crews worked through the night to contain the fire.
Fire assets from across Solano County, Contra Costa and Napa counties reported to the scene. The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD) provided their fire boat and multiple crews for a total 20 hours plus 6 hours of travel time. There were multiple fire boats that responded that day, but the San Francisco fire boat stayed for the duration of the incident.
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The SFFD boat was an integral part of the expeditious and successful outcome of the incident. Out of appreciation for their mutual aid, the Benicia Fire Department presented the San Francisco Fire Department with a plaque commemorating their assistance to hang in SFFD's new floating Fireboat Station No. 35. |
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Virtual Regional Wildfire Safety Webinar |
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On Wednesday, August 3, PG&E is inviting customers to join a virtual regional wildfire safety webinar where they will discuss plans for reducing wildfire risks in Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties. During this webinar, attendees will have a chance to ask questions and share feedback with the PG&E team including a Regional Vice President.
Learn more about efforts to underground more powerlines, the expanded safety settings program and planned improvements, progress on system upgrades to prevent wildfires and additional customer resources to prepare for wildfire season and potential outages.
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PG&E Virtual Regional Wildfire Safety Webinar
Time/Date: 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 3
Attendee Dial-In: 888-469-1368
Conference ID: 6983599
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Save the Date
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Aug 1 - Art Gallery Committee Special Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Benicia Public Library. See the Full Agenda for more information.
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Aug 4 - Arts and Culture Commission Special Meeting, 6:30 p.m. at the Benicia Public Library, Edna Clyne Room. See the Full Agenda for more information.
- Aug 11 - Arts and Culture Commission Meeting CANCELED
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City of Benicia This Week is published each Monday morning. Previous editions are available here. We also communicate on Nextdoor.com and AlertSolano.com. Sign up now!
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